DeLay wants showdown with Clinton if deal elusive

Associated Press

Published Thursday, December 07, 2000

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Whip Tom DeLay cast doubt Wednesday on the chances for a budget deal with President Clinton and said that without one, Congress should make him choose between accepting less money than he wants for many agencies or shutting them down.

At a meeting with reporters, the Texas Republican said that without an accord, Congress would continue sending Clinton bills to keep agencies functioning, adding, ''If he wants to shut down the government that's his problem, not ours.''

The aggressive tone by DeLay, a leader of his chamber's conservatives, came even as House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., ordered GOP budget negotiators to craft a counteroffer they could take to the White House for resumed talks with Clinton, perhaps on Thursday.

Both GOP leaders would like to complete a budget pact quickly to clear the decks for what they anticipate will be Republican George W. Bush's presidency. An agreement would be the final piece of this year's $1.8 trillion federal budget.

Removing one obstacle to a deal, Republican leaders decided to drop their effort to win a 10-year, $240 billion tax cut on long-term health costs, investments in poor communities, and on many small businesses and pension plans. Clinton opposed pieces of that package, and GOP leaders decided to try for a bigger version next year under Bush.

Likely to die with that measure was its $1 increase in the $5.15 hourly minimum wage, which Clinton has wanted. But still alive is a $30 billion, 10-year plan to boost Medicare payments for many health care providers, plus Clinton proposals to expand Medicaid coverage for some low-income disabled children, single mothers and others.

On another dispute, Clinton's sweeping demands for eased restrictions on hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were likely to produce an agreement covering far fewer people, but no final decisions have been made, said participants from both sides speaking on condition of anonymity.

Responding to DeLay's remarks, White House officials said Clinton has no interest in replaying the government shutdown battles of 1995 and 1996. The administration is eager to calm the political waters for billions in extra spending that Democrats dearly want.

The biggest budget bill in question -- a $350 billion measure for education, labor and health programs -- includes a tentative $18 billion increase for this year, which Democrats consider a dramatic victory. Clinton has indicated a willingness to cut it by $2 billion, but Republicans want a deeper reduction.

''We ought to avoid the divisive rhetoric and get to work,'' said White House spokesman Jake Siewert.

No one expects a federal shutdown to result from the lingering battles over school and health spending, immigration and other issues that have forced a lame-duck Congress to return to the Capitol. Four of the 13 annual spending bills for fiscal 2001 that were due Oct. 1, covering dozens of departments and agencies, remain incomplete.